The sociology of the sacred: A conversation with Jeffrey Alexander

Author: Lynch Gordon  

Publisher: Routledge Ltd

ISSN: 1475-5610

Source: Culture and Religion, Vol.14, Iss.3, 2013-09, pp. : 253-267

Disclaimer: Any content in publications that violate the sovereignty, the constitution or regulations of the PRC is not accepted or approved by CNPIEC.

Previous Menu Next

Abstract

Over the past 20 years, Jeffrey C. Alexander has been a leading social theorist and a pioneer of the `strong program' in cultural sociology, which emphasises the significance of cultural structures of meaning for social life. Following an introductory overview of his work, this article records a public conversation with Alexander about the role and significance of the concept of the sacred in his sociological work. Issues addressed in this conversation include situating Alexander's interest in the sacred in his intellectual biography (including his significant intellectual influences), the mistrust of the concept of the sacred within the wider sociological community, the universality of cultural structures of sacred meaning, the limitations of sociological analysis focused on sacred meaning and methodological approaches to the study of the sacred.